The UMBC women's soccer team (5-7-4, 1-4-2 America East) returns to action on Thursday evening when they host Binghamton (5-1-1, 8-5-3 America East) at Retriever Soccer Park. The opening whistle is set for 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on AmericaEast.TV. The Retrievers will also honor their four seniors, Natasha Munro (Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Washington Township), Caroline Koutsos (Boyds, Md., Our Lady of Good Counsel), Alyssa Palmucci (Mullica Hill, N.J., Kingsway/East Carolina), and Morgan McGruder (Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley North)  immediately following the game.
 
NOTABLE

• The Retrievers are currently tied with NJIT for the final America East playoff spot with five points each. UMBC can clinch a berth in this weekend's quarterfinals with a victory against the Bearcats. NJIT or Bryant (3 points) would claim the No. 6 seed if either team comes up with a win coupled with a UMBC defeat. UMBC owns the tiebreak with NJIT by virtue of their 1-0 win versus the Highlanders a couple of weeks ago in Newark, New Jersey.
• UMBC Head Coach Vanessa Mann announced that she has accepted a position with US Soccer and will step down from her leadership of the Retrievers' program at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
• The Dawgs fell at home to New Hampshire, 2-0, in their most recent outing on Sunday afternoon at RSP. The Wildcats scored a goal in each half and went on to the victory.
• UMBC blanked NJIT for a key league victory on October 13. The Black and Gold produced the game-winner with 12:16 remaining on an own goal off a throw in deep in NJIT territory. Midfielder Caroline Koutsos lobbed a high-arching service towards the goal and Highlander keeper Molly Saylor let the ball get over her head, leaving her out of position. The ball came down directly off the head of a defender and was directed straight into the lower left side of the open goal.
• Goalkeeper Morgan McGruder recorded a career-high 13 saves in the NJIT contest and now has made 78 stops on the campaign. It was also the third-highest total made by a conference keeper in 2022.
• McGruder is tied for the America East lead with seven clean sheets and is fifth with a .814 save percentage. She is currently fourth with a 1.125 goals against average.
• Sophomore back Abby Joseph (Lexington Park, Md., Great Mills) is eighth on the circuit with three assists this season.
•  Meghan McKye (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Northern Secondary School) leads UMBC with five goals, which is good for ninth in the America East. The junior striker is also eleventh overall in points (11). Her three game-winners are second in the league.      

A GLANCE AT THE BEARCATS     

• New Hampshire, Binghamton, and Maine are currently all tied at the top of the conference standings with 16 points apiece.
• Binghamton's only loss in the league was a 2-1 decision versus UNH.
• The Bearcats lead the circuit with 32 goals, and they are sixth in goals allowed (23).
• Senior forward Maya Anand is second in the America East with 10 markers, three of which have been game-winners. Anand leads the conference with 24 points as she has also added four assists.
• Senior midfielder Olivia McKnight (6g, 3a) and sophomore forward Peyton Gilmore (6g, 3a) also rank among the top-five in the conference in scoring with 15 points each.
• Sophomore Kaitlyn Williams owns a 1.327 goals against average and is fourth in the league in the category.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES

• Binghamton is 16-2-3 in the all-time series and has won five straight against the Retrievers.
• The last time the teams met in Baltimore, the Bearcats prevailed in overtime, 1-0, on April 9, 2021.